World Of Warcraft Lead Moves To Blizzard's Next Online Game

World of Warcraft lead designer Jeffery Kaplan has announced that he is leaving the team behind the popular massively-multiplayer online game in order to work on Blizzard's next massively-multiplayer project.

In a post on the official World of Warcraft forums, Kaplan, who goes by the forum handle Tigole, thanked the fans and the development team behind the game for their support over the years, frustratingly without revealing any new info about what exactly Blizzard's next massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game would be.

When all is said and done, WoW is still my favourite game. I play it every day. None of that passion is gone. If anything, it fuels the challenge of making our next MMO even better. We know we have some big shoes to fill. So thank you to everyone who has been so supportive over the years, and likewise, thanks to those who have given us pointed feedback on all areas of the game. Without all of the feedback and participation, WoW would not be the game that it has grown to be. Azeroth truly belongs to you and we're lucky to have shared in your journey.

While it's sad to see Jeffery go, it's nice to see that his hands will be on the next big thing from Blizzard. Whatever it winds up being. Hopefully the announcement of his departure means the new project is beginning to pick up steam, perhaps leading to an announcement at this year's annual BlizzCon fan convention.